Imaginary
by starry-eyed-miko
Summary: Remember your first friend? They probably were imaginary, right? And what if you moved away, only to come back ten years later, and those imaginary friends of yours were waiting for you...
1. ﻿ Prologue

Guuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeesssss who!

Yup, I'm back, with yet ANOTHER story for you to complain about due to my lack of updating. But see, this time, I'm not just being lazy. No. I've been kicked off the computer for the past two months (and still am, but I snuck on right now) because of my danged science teacher. So how about if you REALLY get anxious for me to update, I'll buy you some tomatos instead for you to throw at him

I got the idea for this story after reading _Tithe _by Holly Black. If you haven't read it, go to the library RIGHT THIS SECOND. Actually, maybe go AFTER to read my story...It's not based on it or anything, I just thought of it, then had a messed up dream that sort of related to it, and volia, a new story:)

Anyway, enough of my pointless babble. On with the fic!

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

Bright azure orbs sparkled with unshed tears. The wobbly, sniffling figure of a six year old girl stood alone in an empty room, clutching a small teddy bear tightly to her chest. The two ribbons that had previously been holding her shoulder-length tresses had become loose, and the thickness of her dark locks stuck to her wet cheeks.

Pushing a particularly obscuring strand away from in front of her eyes, her gaze swept the perimeter of the room.

The walls were a dusty pink, some parts showing patches of white where her posters of magical beings had been taken down, the tape that had held them up sticking like glue to the wall and ripping flakes of paint.

The floor was shiny and clean, no books or toys littered it, and the shelves were all bare.

The spot where her small but comfy bed had been, she noticed the scuff marks on her floor from when she had decided she wanted to rearranged the furniture in her room. A small smile graced her lips as she thought of how difficult it was to do, but she had done it.

Just like how she could reach the centre of her walls to put up those posters.

But she hadn't done it completely by herself...

"I-Inuyasha? Sh-Shippo?"

Her voice was tiny and thin, the waver making it almost inaudible and incoherent. But she knew they could hear her. They always heard her.

She stood still for a moment, holding her breath. When no one came, she let out a tiny sob as more tears spilled down her cheeks. She squeezed the teddy bear with all her might, and turned to leave.

_They don't like me anymore..._

But as her body made the full turn, and she took a step, she found her way blocked. Her head shot up, and she was met with an intense gold gaze.

"You came back," whispered the little boy. "...to say good-bye."

His words undid her completely, and dropping her now forgotten teddy, she dove into his arms, wailing loudly. The six year old hanyou stood dumbly for a moment before gently, if not a little hesitantly, wrapped his own arms around her trembling frame.

"Great job, baka." hiccuped another voice.

Leaving the warmth of her friends arms, the little girl looked over by her window, where the same watery eyes of a kitsune stared back at her. "You just had to make her go and cry."

She heard the other boys slight growl, but she didn't scold him. She was too busy hurtling herself at the fox child. He easily embraced her without the embarrassment (unlike their silver-haired friend) and cried just as hard along with her.

"Why Kagome?" he bawled. "Why do you gotta go?"

"I don't wanna! Really I don't!" she wept back. "Oh Shippo! What am I gonna do without you and Inuyasha?" sobbing harder, Kagome moved and outstretched one arm to silently invite the awkward looking hanyou into a three-way-hug.

"Please," she whispered when his face clouded with that "No-Way-In-Heck" look.

Sighing defeatedly, Inuyasha allowed himself to be crushed between his two hysterical friends.

"Can't you guys PLEASE come with me?" Kagome begged, finally pulling away with one final sniffle from the smothering embrace.

"Stupid," Inuyasha couldn't keep the catch out of his voice. "You think we WANT to be left behind?"

"That's just his way of saying he'll miss you lots." said Shippo with a watery half-chuckle. Inuyasha just huffed with a slight pink tinting his cheeks as he purposely looked in the opposite direction.

Kagome shot Inuyasha a smile, but she felt the smile drain away at his whispered words;

"Will you ever come back?"

She blinked, and cast a look over at Shippo, who trained his gaze on her full force. She could see the hope reflected deep within his emerald pools, and also didn't fail to notice that one of Inuyasha's fuzzy white ears was cocked in her direction, twitching in suspense as he awaited her response.

Kagome took a breath, and shot them one of her best smiles as she puffed up her chest importantly.

"I PROMISE that someday I'll come back to you guys." she declared in her best grown-up voice.

Inuyasha slowly turned back to her, emotions flickering in his eyes like koi in a pond. "You better," he growled softly, but Kagome knew him so well that she could detect the well hidden insecurity in his voice.

"I will. I cross-my-heart 'n' hope-to-die." she swore.

Shippo burst out crying again, and Kagome gave him her biggest, bestest bear hug ever.

"I'll miss you, Shippo. I'll miss you a lot." she whispered, giving him one last squeeze before letting go.

She looked over at Inuyasha, feeling slightly embarrassed at her actions now that her waterworks were under control.

"Oh, just come here, dangit."

Inuyasha stepped forward, and pulled Kagome into a warm (if not slightly crushing) hug.

"Kagome? Where are you?" a familiar tone echoed throughout the hollow household.

"I'll miss you lots too, Inuyasha." she murmured, and on impulse as she pulled away, pecked the hanyou lightly on the cheek.

Inuyasha stared at her dumbly and she gave a final wave to him and Shippo (who was grinning slyly at Inuyasha) before turning and heading back towards her door. Footsteps pounded up the stairs, and seemed to jog through the upstairs hall.

"Kago–! Oh, there you are!"

Kagome blinked up innocently at her stern-looking father.

"We were looking all over for you. It's time to go."

Taking her dad's outstretched hand, Kagome gave one last glance over her shoulder.

Inuyasha and Shippo had already disappeared.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

"What were you doing up there, anyway?" her father was still scolding her as she climbed into the backseat of the family van. "We wanted to be out of her by 4, and it's now 4:30. What was so important that you had to go running off like that? Your mother and I were worried–"

The car door slammed and her father's tall figure strode around the perimeter of the car one last time, making sure everything was in place before hopping into the drivers seat.

"–Were worried sick about you!" he concluded as he started the ignition.

"I had to say good-bye." Kagome grumbled, looking miserably out the window at their home. Her one year old baby brother cooed beside her.

"Good-bye? To the house?"

Kagome kept from rolling her eyes at the stupidness of her father's question. She imagined one of Inuyasha's rude come backs to answer that, but instead she chose silence.

"Were you saying good-bye to you friends?"

Kagome smiled as her mother's soft voice cut in, gentle as a feather but a smooth as a knife. He father didn't respond.

"Yah...mommy, how come they couldn't come with us?" Kagome didn't understand. If they could go everywhere else with her, why not to Kyoto?

"I don't know, sweetie. Maybe they have laws, just like we do. Maybe they have to stay in Tokyo."

Kagome loved it when her mother believed in her "imaginary" friends. Her daddy always told her she was too old for such nonsense.

"Do you think they're going to be lonely?"

"Well, grandpa is taking over the estate while we're gone. You father's company should be transferring us back in another year or two." her mother was smiling. Kagome couldn't see it from where she sat, but she could feel it.

"But Inuyasha never liked grandpa. He always said he was a crazy old fart that needed to be put in a retirement home for the safety of others."

Kagome's mother laughed, but that didn't mean Kagome didn't hear the disbelieving snort from her father.

"Yes, grandpa IS a little on the zany side, but Shippo likes him, right?"

"Yah, Shippo thinks he's funny..." Kagome paused. "But we'll come back to visit, right?"

Her mother remained silent. Her father sighed.

"Hon...it's gonna be hard to drive between two cities all the time. Not to mention expensive. But like your mother said, we should be transferred back to Tokyo in a couple years time."

"So we're not even gonna visit?" Kagome couldn't keep the panic out of her voice. She could last maybe a week, a month a most, without Shippo and Inuyasha. But a year! She thought she might die.

"I'm sorry, baby." her father's words were quiet as they pulled onto the main expressway. If Kagome knew any better, she would have thought he actually sounded sorry. But she did know better.

She was never going to see Inuyasha or Shippo ever again.


	2. One: Coming Home

First of all, I'd like to say, THIS IS NOT A HORROR FIC. It's actually not really that angsty either, just at the beginning, and possibly at the end. I intend for this to be more of a comedy, cuz I believe laughter is always the best medicine for anything and everything.

Wow. I sound like some kinda fortune cookie. I should just shut up now. Enjoy the chappie :)

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

"Uh!"

Wiping her brow, the young teenager plopped onto her bedframe, ignoring its painful groan underneath her weight now that her mattress was gone.

Fanning herself lightly with her hand, she reached into the pocket of her blue jeans and pulled out an elastic, sweeping the long raven locks off her sweaty neck and back by pulling it into a high pony tail. She scrunched up her nose as they scent of dust filled her nostrils, and let out a not-very-lady-like sneeze.

Making a face, the teen travelled out of her bedroom and to the bathroom where she gave her nose a good, hearty blow. Looking in the mirror, she sighed at the reflection.

A sixteen year old girl stared back at her, sapphire eyes shining from the brightness of the light. Her usually pale complexion was blotchy from exertion and already pieces of her long hair were falling from the ponytail. Her bangs stuck to her forehead, and she pushed them off so she could splash herself with cool water. She cupped the water with her hands, which were smooth and had long fingers, ending in chipped mauve nail polish.

She was a regular teenage girl, with a regular teenage life.

Everyday she would walk twenty minutes to the main city highschool in which she attended. She was on the volleyball team, had many friends, and even if she wasn't Miss Popularity herself, she got along well with others and had a fair social status.

But all that meant nothing to her now.

It had happened last year, around mid-June. There was no raging thunderstorm, no tornado or earthquake or anything dramatic. Just a normal summer day in Kyoto.

Her father had been away on business, but then, when was he not? She had always used to fret that since he had to drive somewhere else anyway for his job, why couldn't they move back to their hometown of Tokyo? But apparently Kyoto was much closer to his destinations, and there were a few meetings scattered every now and then actually _inside _the city limits.

But Kagome had gotten older, and her childhood began to blur. She had forgotten why she had been so desperate to move back to Tokyo, forgotten the feeling that something was missing. She had stopped asking about "home" just before she hit her pre-teen years. This was home now.

Home was the spacious blue house at the corner of Tao and Yuri Street. Home was her friends, Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri. Heck, home was even the flourescent lights and polished hallways of Myatsu High.

School...it would never really be the same now. It was there where she had gotten the phone call. It was there that the little yellow taxi had come to pick her up to bring her to the hospital.

"_Kagome Higurashi? I have some serious news. Maybe you would prefer to sit down before I tell you..."_

Her dad was dead.

Just like that, boom, screech, crash.

He had been in a brutal three-way car accident on the freeway, approximately 10 minutes away from Kyoto. It had been like a sandwich, two of the cars had completely crushed and obliterated the middle one, leaving wreckage everywhere, not to mention a small fire.

Guess who's car had been the middle one.

Doctors presume he must have died instantly, no one could have survived a collision like that. Maybe it was good he had gone that way, they had said. He didn't suffer.

And now, here she was, standing in front of the mirror, almost an entire year later.

Her mother had tried to juggle the finances as best she could, but they had ended up losing the house. She didn't blame her mom for wanting to move back to Tokyo, but Kagome couldn't help but feel a little...lost.

Here she was, at sixteen, the most crucial time of her life to have friends and support and her father had died, she was moving back to a city which she could hardly remember, and she was losing the only life she really knew how to live.

She had walked back to her room by now, full of boxes, some pack and some not, and she leaned against the doorframe.

"Sis?"

Turing around, Kagome came face to face with her ten year old brother, Souta.

"Hey Squirt," she smiled gently. Souta was probably feeling more lost than she was. Him and her dad had been very close. "What's up?"

"I dunno..." Souta sighed, and cast a look into Kagome's semi-emptied room. "I still can't believe we're leaving, I mean..." he made a face.

"One week." he finished, looking downwards.

"Hey, come on...don't go all watery on me now." she teased.

Souta couldn't help but smile.

"Now scoot," Kagome giggled as she pushed him down the hallway, back towards his own room. "You said so yourself, we're leaving next week. I gotta finish packing, and so do you! Hey maybe if I finish early I can help you...so you'll have more time to say good-bye to your snuggums."

Souta turned bright red. Though still young, he already had a type of 'girlfriend' named Suteki. He always got rather embarrassed whenever Kagome would coo over how cute he was.

"Aww...Kagome!"

Still laughing as she shut his bedroom door, she walked slowly back to hers.

_I know how you feel, Souta._ Kagome's eyes filled for a second before she hastily blinked back the tears. _You're lucky your still young enough to let your emotions out. I have to be strong. For you, for mom..._

_But most of all, for dad._

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

The room was pink and covered in filth.

Dust was settled in thick blankets over the shelves, and even the floor, showing that the room hadn't been used in a while.

Dropping her knapsack onto the floor, Kagome took in a deep breath, then hacked out as the scent of earth and dust clogged her nostrils. She walked over to the crank-open window on the far side of the room, and stopped about a metre before it with a frown on her face.

The floor here wasn't dusty. In fact, the area of about 1m by 1m in front of the window showed a chipped and old hardwood floor. There was a small 'trail' a few centimetres wide also free from dust, that lead to one large dust-free area up against the side wall. From a distant memory, Kagome remembered that spot as where her tiny twin sized bed used to sit.

"That's weird..." she commented, looking behind her back to where she had made footprints from the inch thick dust that concealed the rest of the floor.

Shaking her head, figuring her grandfather had probably just been using her old bedroom for storage while she lived in Kyoto, she finished her journey to the window and pushed it open.

The sakura blossoms were in bloom, and a sweet spring-time smell flowed inside, like the room itself was taking a deep breath.

Content that the stink might just air out by the time she had to drag her mattress up the stairs later on that night, she walked out of the room, intent on finding some cleaning supplies.

She would have to make a memo to herself to buy some new paint later on, though.

She stopped in the doorway as a sudden chill ran down her spine. Turing around, she scanned the room for any sign of life...mice, bugs, etc. Spotting nothing, she just ignored the persistent tingles that coursed through her body giving her goosebumps. It was probably just deja-vu or something.

So as she turned back around to retreat down the hall, she never noticed the flicker in the shadows, and the eyes that watched her intensely, glowing bright yet dark in the blackness.

_**XxXxXxXxX**_

It was HUGE.

Way huger than her old room, that was for sure. But on the other hand, this WAS her old room.

Swiffer could really work numbers in a place. The creepy haunted-house type chill was gone, leaving a warm and welcoming looking bedroom with cool evening air pouring through the window.

Kagome grinned proudly. Her mom had already agreed that she could pick out a nice shade of green to go over the pink, and that they wouldn't move her stuff in right away so they could paint.

Sitting on her double mattress, she ran through different shades in her head, wanting to not make her room _too_ dark since it already had planted a creepy vibe in her.

She got up and walked to the opposite wall, running her fingers over chipped paint, and areas which weren't as faded, showing a rectangular space on the wall where a picture or poster must have hung.

She felt like a part of her was waking up from a deep slumber, everything just felt so familiar...so _right._ Like she belonged here more than she did in Kyoto, like she had never even really left, actually. Pieces were coming back to her, like a jigsaw puzzle or a vivid dream.

But her joyride through memory lane was cut short as those same chills raised the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck. Instead of turning in her usual cautious manner, she spun around and thought she saw a flash of red and orange, each colour coming from the corner of each eyes. It momentarily confused her, so when she looked again, nothing was there.

"Kagome!" called her mom from up down the stairwell.

Instantly, Kagome felt strange, like someone had slapped her. The chills grew stronger, colder, and she felt her limbs grow heavy.

But just as soon as it had hit her, the feeling vanished. Stepping forward, she took a deep breath before shaking her head and hollering back "Coming!" before dashing out of the room.

The hand that had been reaching out from her closet to where she had stood slowly pulled back. If she'd have turned around, she would have seen the long clawed fingers upon a tanned and calloused hand. The owner of that hand growled.

"Kagome..." the husky voice whispered before in a blinding moment of red and silver, he had jumped out her window and into the night, intent on reporting his findings.


	3. Two: Surprises

WOOT!

Okay, you must love me now. Not only did I write a new chappie by the next night, but I also posted it cuz my parents aren't home. I'm so proud :D

Alright, well, I have Kagome driving in this chapter. I don't know how old you have to be in Japan, so I went by good old Ontarian customs, so she should be getting her licence this year. But she shouldn't be driving alone, but I needed it that way for the next chapter to work.

So yah. This one's for Pharoph. Enjoy:)

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Pulling her long ebony hair into a high ponytail, sparkling magenta pools sifted through the sea of teenagers pouring from the several bright yellow buses in the school parking lot.

Looking a Shikon High, you would have never guessed the amount of students that the small building could hold. It was an older building, made mostly of brick, with many large one-way windows that reflected the few trees and shrubs that were planted around the school in no specific pattern or order.

It had two large open fields, one along the back where it connected with a small forest of sorts, and one on the side with the football field and baseball diamond. On the other side of the school was a large semi-circular parking lot, the asphalt so old that 3/4 of it had grass sprouting up through the cracks.

Sure, it wasn't the most attractive school in town, but it had this special "vibe" radiating off of it. Everyone loved the old Shikon, no one ever had the heart to tear it down. So now, 103 years after it had been built, it was the daytime home of just over 6,000 students.

The dark haired teen made a face at the familiarity of the majority of faces. Usually, people were happy to see a familiar face. She wasn't, she was searching for a _friendly _one.

She wasn't unpopular, she just didn't have the whole girly-girl thing going for herself. Always preferring trucks to barbies, and overalls to dresses, she wasn't a COMPLETE tomboy, but she still preferred the company of her male friends to the giggling gossip of the Populars.

But the Populars weren't always annoying. She had found out some valuable information from one of them on her own bus. Shikon High was receiving a new student. One of its first in about 10 years. The damned place was always so packed, newcomers not of the ninth grade never got in. So this mystery girl was guaranteed a spot in the cheerleading squad for making news like this.

Frowning, the girls gaze rested upon a face that was both familiar _and _friendly, in a strange way.

She had just stepped off her bus, the South 28, and was walking shyly through the crowd, head down. Her hair was about to her mid-back, and was dark and thick. She had looked up for a split second when she accidentally walked into someone, murmuring a quick apology. She had bright blue eyes which were now once again averted to the chipped pavement.

Suddenly everything hit the purple-eyed girl in a rush of memories.

"Kagome!" she hollered. "Kagome Higurashi!"

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Kagome slunked through the overcrowded area, trying hard not to bump to many people as she made a beeline for her new schools front entrance.

It was almost as if Shikon High were on an island, and she was drifting farther and farther away. Her cheeks were burning as the feeling of hundreds of eyes boring into the back of her head. She vaguely remembered a few of the faces from long ago, but she doubted anyone remembered her. Back then she had only had one _real_ friend.

Funny how for some weird reason, she had always thought she had at least two more.

"Kagome!"

Kagome smiled to herself. Her best friend would always have to yell at her because she always had her head off in the clouds.

"Kagome Higurashi!"

She could still remember her voice...it was soft, and pretty. A contrast to her overalls and messy pigtails.

"Kagome-chan!"

The sudden voice in her ear caused Kagome to jolt violently and let out a small shriek. About a half a dozen people turned to stare at her, and Kagome just wanted to sink into the ground.

But first she had to tell of that bastard who had scared—

"Sango!"

Kagome blinked in astonishment at the familiar magenta orbs. Sango had always had such unique eyes. Now enhanced with eyeshadow and mascara, Sango looked simply beautiful. Long gone were the pigtails and braids, and her long shiny black hair was swept back in an elegant ponytail. She was wearing jeans, not overalls, but still Kagome could see the old Sango shining through.

"Kami, it is you..." Sango laughed as Kagome threw her arms around her.

"Oh, Sango-chan, it's been WAY too long..."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Kagome blinked and let go off Sango. To her left stood a boy about 5 inches taller than herself. He wore a pleasant smile, but there was a definite mischievousness sparkling in his navy pools. His hair was black, with a wisp of a ponytail tied at the back of his neck. He chuckled at Kagome's blank stare.

"My my my, who do we have here?" he eyed Kagome, and she felt her blush return under his gaze.

Circling around her, the strange boy inspected her from every angle, and turned on a charming smile once he had returned to his earlier position between Sango and Kagome.

"Curvaceous, pretty smile, nice abs and butt."

Kagome's eyes went huge as she gaped at him.

He clutched her hands. "My fair lady, would you do me the honour of—"

A loud _thunk_ was heard as Sango's fist collided with his head.

"Save it Miroku. She'd never do it with _you_."

Kagome slowly pulled her hands away. "What?"

"Allow me to–" Another _thunk _was heard.

"No, allow me." Sango said darkly while glaring at the boy. He made the motion of zipping his lips.

"Kagome-chan, meet Miroku, world class pervert and all around womanizer. His talents include groping, flirting, and being sick minded. But I guess he had a _few_ redeeming qualities..." Sango grinned as Miroku made a face.

"Well, since you got to know me..." Miroku turned his Prince Charming smile back on. "Then it is now my turn to get to know you."

"Hmph." Sango snorted. Kagome thought she saw a flicker of jealousy ignite in her friends eye, but mentally shook her head. She had to have been imagining it.

"Umm...well, I'm Kagome–"

"Kagome-sama." Miroku replied. Kagome gave him a funny look, but continued.

"And anyway, I was Sango's best friend way back when, but then I moved to Kyoto–"

"How very tragic, losing such a precious childhood friendship."

"Right...well, I moved back, so...here I am." Kagome gave a tiny smile. Sango smiled encouragingly back.

"But Sango!" Miroku protested. "I thought WE were best friends!"

Sango made move to reply, but Kagome beat her to it.

"We could all be friends..." she put in somewhat shyly.

Sango's eyes softened and she smiled. "It's up to Miroku."

Miroku practically GLOWED with happiness at the thought of now hanging with not one, but TWO pretty girls.

"Well Best Buddies," he grinned, draping his arms over Sango's and Kagome's shoulders. "Methinks we better get a move on before we miss the opening assembly."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Letting out a long sigh, Kagome dropped her million-ton back pack onto her bedroom floor and collapsed onto her mattress. It was a bit of a fall, due to her lack of bedframe, but it was comfy nonetheless.

She smiled. It was still relatively bright outside. Maybe she could ask her mom for the keys of the family car and just go around the block. She needed the extra practice for her driving exam that she was taking over the summer break.

Stretching before rolling off the mattress and onto the floor, she stretched once more, like a dog or cat, before climbing to her feet.

She warm air on the back of her neck, and turned around.

Her window was opened to the farthest it could go, and she made a face at the approaching storm clouds. Walking over, she shut it with a frown.

_Funny, I don't remember leaving it open..._

Still frowning, she turned back towards her doorway and headed down the stairwell.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Kagome felt fat.

The cushioning of the seating was sinking lower and lower the longer she sat on the plush fabric. The steering wheel was cool under her palms, and the keys still jingled from when she had started the ignition. The hum of the motor sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. Kagome had always felt that she had been born to drive.

Easing the car out of the long shrine driveway and onto the small side street, Kagome took off in the direction of the corner store about 3 blocks away. Her mom had told her that while she was out, she had might as well get some extra milk.

It would have probably made a nicer walk due to it being the end of spring so less bugs were out than in actual summer, with amazing weather, but Kagome was never one for getting soaked, and the dark clouds overhead suggested.

Turning onto the main street that would bring her to the store, Kagome couldn't help but wiggle a bit as the same chill entered her once again. She felt like someone was looking at her, and her body was telling her that someone was invading her personal space. Like someone was behind her...

But that was preposterous. The car might maybe have a few bugs from lack of use, but that was about it. It had been empty when she had left, so it was empty now.

...so then why did she feel the compelling need to turn around?

_Now you're just being a baka._ Kagome scolded herself as her hand reached up to adjust the rearview mirror. She was going to beat this. She couldn't get all paranoid every time she got the heebie jeebies. She would not look. She would not look. She would not...

_Maybe a **peek** won't hurt..._

Feeling both disgusted with herself, and content that she could now finally prove there was nothing there, she twisted the rearview mirror to show the emptiness of the backseat...

A sighed. Nothing there.

Rubbing her temples, she stopped at a stop sign.

"Girl, you're really losing it." she muttered to herself.

"Yeah, talking to yourself isn't really something that SANE people do."

Kagome snapped over to look at the passenger seat in utter horror. Looking back at her with a bored expression upon his face, sat a man of about her age with long silver hair.

All Kagome could muster was a scream.


	4. Three: Police and Pills

Ahhh...

Lookie lookie, another update :) See, when my life isn't frantic, I'm actually a good authouress, and I don't make my reviewers wait for more than a day.

Too bad that ain't gonna last.

My schedule is starting to pile up again. There's a 50 chance of another update in a short period of time...

...and a 50 chance that I might not update in a while.

Anyway, tell me if this chapter is any good. I kinda thought this one n the last one were a bit on the boring side...feedback always helps :)

Thanks to WintersBlaze, artemisxmoon, alchemistgrl09 & I heart Sesshomaru:) :) :) :)

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"_AHHHHH!"_

"Uhg, would you shut up?"

Kagome continued to wail loudly, causing the man's face to contort with discomfort.

"I said; SHUT UP!"

Looking around frantically, Kagome's gaze rested on the unlocked door of the drivers seat. Immediately her hand reached for the handle, when a metallic _click_ stopped her cold.

"Yah, that really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. You trying to leave us again. Thanks, thanks a lot, wench."

Kagome kept her head turned in the direction of her side rearview mirror. Cars were impatiently lining up behind her as she still sat faithfully at the stop sign. Forming a desperate plan in her head, she floored the ignition and speed off.

Pressed into the backing of the passenger seat, the man's odd golden eyes widened in horror. "What the hell are you doing you crazy bitch!"

Kagome still didn't say a word. She was panting and she could feel the rise of small hairs on the back of her neck.

Finally, Kagome heard what she had been waiting for. Loud sirens followed by flashing red lights gained on her, and she allowed her foot to relax on the gas pedal.

"You moron!" screamed the man. "You just HAD to go an drags the cops into this. What the hell is the matter with you?"

Kagome just turned to give him a mixed look of fear and triumph. Soon the police would come to her window and take this man away, and she'd never have to—

"Kagome, what the hell! I asked you what was wrong!"

Kagome felt a strange numbness begin to coil in the pit of her stomach like a venomous snake. This man knew her name.

"Who are you?" she whispered as she heard the car door of the police cruiser behind her slam.

The man's unusual eyes went wide with shock, then narrowed into suspicion. Finally a look of pained horror rested on his face.

"You don't remember?" he whispered back.

"I don't even know who the hell you are!" Kagome exclaimed.

The man's eyes narrowed once again. "You'll remember. I know you will."

He leaned forward and Kagome shrieked. A tap was heard on her window, spinning around, she rolled down her window frantically, and pointed to the seat beside her.

"Arrest this man!" she cried.

Turning to see the look upon the man's face now that the jig was up, she gasped.

He was gone.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Ma'am, I hope you take no offense in me saying this, but your daughter needs help."

Kagome hid on the top of the stairwell, tears gleaming in her aquamarine eyes. Her raven locks curtained around the side of her head, her bangs overshadowing the fact that those tears had started to flow.

What was wrong with her?

The police had escorted her home, asking about her mystery man for the entire time.

"_He had long white hair, and these really creepy yellow eyes." Kagome had shuddered. "He kept yelling at me what was wrong, and then he started telling me to remember. I didn't even know who he was."_

"_Was there any other distinct feature this man had? Like a scar, or a gold tooth...?"_

"_I didn't really look at his face too much. His ears were distracting me too much. They twitched furiously on his head every time he yelled."_

Dog ears? How stupid could she be. No WAY that man had dog ears. Maybe in her hysteria she had mistaken them from a hat.

But the police thought different. They thought she had just made this whole thing up.

Why would she even DO something like that? She got lots of attention and love from her family, her mom, gramps, and Souta meant the world to her. She already had friends, and she lived in a cozy and protected neighbourhood.

So why would she make this up?

She heard the front door close, and her mother's sigh. The clicking of her shoes told Kagome that her mom was coming up to see her.

"Kagome?"

Kagome lifted her head from where she had been resting it on her knees. She looked down at her mom.

"Hi." she said quietly.

"Hi," her mom replied. She walked up the stairs and sat down beside her daughter. Before she had even gotten a word out, Kagome burst.

"He was really there mom, I swear he was! Even if the cops think I'm crazy, I still know what I saw! He locked the doors on me mom, things that aren't there can't do that! I swear, mom, I swear..." she plopped a heavy head on her moms shoulder. Gently, her mother stroked her hair.

"I know, sweetie, I know. And the police don't think you're crazy, they're just concerned for your well-being." Kagome snorted, but her mother ignored it. "It's not every day that they run into sixteen year old girls claiming that they're being harassed by men with dog ears."

Kagome sat upright. "I could have been a hat. In my hysteria—"

"Honey, there are lots of reasons and excuses. But tomorrow, we're going to go down to the clinic, and get you some medicine. If you little friend continues to appear after that, then we'll contact the police. But otherwise, sweets, I just think you're under a lot of stress. Leaving everything behind like that can do a number on a person, especially someone your age. I think you should go get some sleep. Tomorrow's a new day, and a fresh start, hmm?"

Kagome only nodded and got up numbly. Even her own MOTHER thought she was a psychopath...

But what if she was right? What if that man had just been her brain telling her that she needed some rest? Maybe she should get some pills. She didn't want to be haunted by some illusion for the rest of her life.

Crawling into bed, Kagome allowed a small, watery smile to grace her lips.

_Tomorrow's a new day._

And with that last thought, she fell into a deep sleep.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Baka! You got Kagome in trouble!" hissed small voice from the shadows.

"Hey, it wasn't MY fault. I didn't know she was going to go all psycho on me!" the gruff voice of a man countered.

"You should of let ME talk to her! I don't look anywhere as freaky as you!" squeaked the first voice.

"Just cuz you decided to stay little in hopes that Kagome would come back sooner, doesn't mean she'll remember you any better than she did me." snorted the second voice.

"But you grew up! She probably didn't recognise you! Tomorrow _I'll_ talk to her. You just sit back and watch the pro's of being cute."

"Feh. Whatever."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Sango was getting worried.

She hadn't seen Kagome all morning. She had waited until the bell had run for Kagome to show up in the parking lot, and then at her locker between first and second period. Now, halfway through second, she miserably stared at the door, hoping her best friend was okay.

Miroku's deep gaze swept back and forth between Sango and the parking lot. He too was worried about his new friend, but his worry for Sango balanced it, so he continued to switch his focus from the distraught looking Sango town seats away from him, and to the parking lot, trying to get a glimpse of Kagome.

There was a rap at the door, and Miroku made a face. Attendance had already come down...so maybe...

Sango sat upright, worry flickering in her magenta pools as Kagome walked in, handing Odenaru-sensei a note. She slid into the empty seat beside Sango, and shot Miroku a tiny smile.

A note was on her desk in seconds.

_Where were you? Is everything alright?_

Kagome smiled slightly, and wrote back;

_I had to go to the doctors._

Sango frowned as she tossed the note back.

_Why?_

Kagome just grinned and shook her head. "_Tell you later_" she mouthed.

Miroku looked on with questioning eyes. Sango just turned to him and shrugged.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Kagome sat on her mattress, just thinking. She was supposed to be doing her homework, but she had found her mind wandering...

The polish on her fingernails was almost completely faded, and she vaguely wondered about what colour she was going to do them next.

_Maybe gold,_ she thought. _Just like that man's eyes..._

Making a face, she pulled a small canister out of her pocket and popped it open, taking out a tiny white pill. She swallowed it with ease, it being only about one millimetre by one millimetre in size, and flopped backwards.

_He doesn't exist._ She recited to herself. _Men with white hair are old, not young, they DO NOT have dog ears, and they have regular coloured eyes._

She sighed. She still hadn't told Sango or Miroku about her run in with the cops. What would THEY think? What if they left her, thinking she was insane?

"_Yah, that really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. You trying to leave us again. Thanks, thanks a lot, wench."_

Us? In some twisted way, did that mean that there were more than just one of those crazy, imaginary people?

_No way._ Kagome thought with an unconvincing chuckle. _And even if there were, I got these babies to help me._ She held the canister up. _No more weirdo's for me._

If only Kagome knew just how very wrong she was.


	5. Four: Birth Control and Insanity

Alrighty.

So hey :) How many of you wish to strangle me for not updating in so long? If you want to hear my sob story, check out the "Updates" section on my bio, but really all it is is a whole bunch of whining and excuses. But, I do score points for getting a new chappie up BEFORE March. YAYAGE! Just for reference, Sango has her brother AND her father in this fic, but no mother. This will actually play a part if I can finish this fic the way I want to...

Oh yes, and I DO have a purpose for Kagome being able to see all these "people". Someone else will be able to see them too, but I don't wanna give away any fun spoilers for the next couple chapters...

Sorry, no Miroku in this chap.

I'm gonna go take some painkillers, drink some more Bibo (my niece got me hooked on that junk), and pass out on top of all the stuff on my bed. So while I'm doing this, I hope you enjoy reading:)

**XXXXXXXX**

It was a warm and sunny day, not a cloud littered the baby blue sky, and the sweet scent of spring drifted in through the bedroom window.

It was a beautiful day, no one should have been frowning on a day like today.

Sango was.

Across from he sat the owner of the soft mattress she was currently sitting on. Her young friend's eyes were glazed and dulled from their usual vibrance as she traced invisible patterns on her comforter. Her mid-length hair was swept back in a lose and messily done braid. Tiny creases in her near flawless complexion proved to Sango that she too was frowning.

Sango glanced down at her watch.

So...

Seventeen long, silent (not to mention boring) minutes later, Kagome still hadn't cracked.

Sango had first noticed the tiny white pills when they had fallen out of Kagome's gym bag. Blushing furiously and glancing around a little on the frantic side, she had quickly snatched them up off the floor, stuffed then bag into the dark hole that was her gym bag, and muttered something about painkillers for migraines, and laughed in a forced, high-strung kind of way.

The second time had been when Sango was poking through Kagome's locker for lip gloss the next day, when she happened upon the canister holding the mystery pills once again. But before she had gotten a good look at the stupid things, Kagome had come back from her trip to the washroom, stopped dead when she spotted Sango, and grabbed the pills like a starving man would grab a loaf of bread. Shoving them into her pocket, she then asked Sango if she had found the lip gloss yet, and acted as if nothing had happened.

The third time had been earlier that day when Sango had first come over to help Kagome with some of her regular shrine chores. Kagome had asked Sango to go fetch her the dustpan which she had accidentally left on the kitchen counter (how sanitary). When Sango had gone into the kitchen to get the cursed object, she once again spotted that damn canister as it mocked her from beside a water glass that was half empty (or was it half full?).

Being ever so sneaky she pocketed the canister, and then picked up the dustpan, heading back outside.

Now, over half and hour (and seventeen minutes) later, she sat across from Kagome, pills clinking against the plastic of the canister every once in a while from Kagome's fidgeting from where it layed between the two friends. Sango couldn't take it anymore.

"Kagome-chan..." she started, but soon faltered.

Hmm...how to put it...

"I..." No, that way would take too long. "You..." That way was a little on the harsh side. "Well..." Dangit, that wouldn't work either.

"Are you pregnant?"

Blunt, but hey, it worked.

Kagome snapped out of whatever trance she was in instantly. Her eyes focussed on her friend, and maybe it was Sango's imagination, but her eyes seemed to double in size as heat began to flood into her cheeks.

"Wh-what...?" Kagome finally managed to stutter out.

"Now, Kagome-chan, I know it's difficult having to leave so many things behind, but if you ever needed something...extra, me and Miroku, even if he IS a lecher, will always be here for you." Sango's eyes radiated concern as she placed a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"You...I...WHAT?"

"I know babies seem cute and all, but you remember Souta growing up. And even now you two don't always get along. So maybe having a child of your own isn't the best way to cope right now..."

"Child...of...my own...?" she squeaked out as her left eye twitched.

"Have you had your visit from Aunt Flow recently?" Sango asked worriedly. When Kagome didn't answer, the squeeze on the shoulder grew tighter. "Oh, Kags. I know this sounds awful, but have you considered abortion? I mean, unless you really feel you're up to it... And of course I'll help all I can with babysitting and stuff..."

Kagome's face could go no redder. So THAT was why Sango had been acting so funny lately. She'd thought that Kagome's delusion pills were birth control. Oh, Kami...

"SANGO!" Kagome squealed, looking mortified. "I AM NOT PREGNANT!"

Sango blinked a few times. "You're...not?"

"No!" Kagome vaguely wondered if her mother had overheard any of this conversation. If so, she would have some explaining to do tonight...

"Then why..." Sango didn't have to say anything more as she picked up the canister with one hand and made gestures at it with the other.

Sango didn't know whether to be amused, annoyed, or worried as emotions such as horror, panic, and finally fatigue filtered across Kagome's face.

"Well..." she started slowly, deciding to get everything out in one shot. She thought about how to phrase it, where to start, and most importantly, how to explain things so Sango wouldn't think her a scitzo.

"I guess it all started a couple days ago..."

**XXXXXXXX**

Bloodthirsty eyes focussed on the raven haired figure that sat on her bed telling a story to her friend.

A clawed digit outlined her figure through the window, but then quickly withdrew again as the sun burned it's sensitive flesh. He hadn't felt sunlight in so long...a barrier could have protected him, of course, but with _that girl_ so close, he didn't think he would chance it.

An oily lock of ink black hair spilled into his eyes. He sliced it off, knowing it would just regrow in a couple of hours.

He watched as her lips stopped moving and her eyes sweep the area. Had she really sensed him that quickly?

He was gone before she even dared a look out the window.

**XXXXXXXX**

Kagome stood at her window waving as she watched Sango walk off down the stone steps and the setting of the sun. She still hadn't quite shook the creepy crawlies that had started up and down her spine since about halfway through her little confidence in Sango.

Sango herself had taken the news rather well, and even opted an idea.

"_I actually think it started back farther than you think," she had stated after a moment of thought. "You used to have a dog boy for an imaginary friend when you were little. Don't you remember? I had a cat, and you had a dog and a fox. We'd all go off on 'adventures' through our mother's gardens when we were really young. My father still tells me how mum used to get so flustered..." she went quiet for a moment, and Kagome had patted her back._

"_But still. I think this is a mental state of going back to the comforts of childhood. You don't need pills, you just need comfort." _

Kagome grinned to herself as she turned away from the window.

Screw the police psychiatrist, Sango gave much better answers!

But Kagome's grin was quickly wiped off her face and her eyes laid on a child-sized orange ball of fuzz. The fuzz stared up at her with round turquoise eyes and her previous grin was mirrored upon his innocent features as he blinked up at her.

"Hiya!" the fuzz chirped brightly.

Kagome quickly averted her eyes. And went about like she couldn't see the...creature. He frowned.

"Kagome?"

She didn't even paused for a second as she rearranged pieces of loose paper that had blown around her desk from the open window.

Think comforting thoughts.

"I know you can hear me."

Think comforting thoughts.

"Your scent goes all funny whenever I say anything."

Think comforting thoughts.

He pouted. "C'mon, Kagome. Why won't you look at me?"

Think...

_Screw that, _Kagome thought somewhat darkly as her hand snaked around the canister that still laid in the middle of her bed. Popping a pill, she walked back over to her desk and pulled out a fresh piece of lined paper. Her pencil was working, but she honestly had no clue what she was writing.

"Whatchya doing?" the thing asked, walking over to where she sat. Kagome didn't respond.

"Are you writing a story?" it asked, eyes going wider. "I always loved your stories. How bout you read it to me?"

Kagome finally looked over the words she had been writing. To her slight amusement, she had written "Fuzz is not alive. Fuzz is not alive. Fuzz is not alive..." over and over again. She counted. Twenty-eight times, to be exact.

She heard a sniffle and allowed herself to glance at _it_ out of the corner of her eye. Fat tears threatened to fall as he sniffed again.

"W-why're you being so mean, Kagome?" it asked, letting a few of the tears fall. Kagome felt her heart clench.

She would not give in to the cuteness.

She would not give in to the cuteness.

She would not give in to the cuteness.

A hiccup followed by a small sob was enough to make her foot spin her chair around and look directly at the creature.

"You don't exist!" she exclaimed. "You're not really there! Begone! Out! Leave me alone!"

The thing went silent for a moment...

...before an all-out wailing fest began.

Before she could really think about what she was doing, she grabbed the fuzzy thing and pulled it into her lap.

Okay...so she was comforting air. This was EXACTLY was the pills were supposed to do for her.

A loud crash was heard, and several things then happened at once:

-The psycho silver-haired man burst through her window

-The sobbing fuzz shut up and started yelling at the already freaking-out dog man

-And somehow Kagome ended up on the floor between the two

Looking up somewhat dazedly, Kagome felt her sapphire gaze shift from one freaky thinger to another.

"Baka! She was finally starting to come around!"

"You were-were-YOU WERE SEDUCING HER!"

"What!"

"You heard me!"

"Just cuz I'm cuter than you..."

"At least I don't go around acting all innocent and then JUMPING ON THEIR LAP!"

"SHE PULLED ME ONTO HER LAP!"

Feeling her eyes wander back up to her desk which only sat a few feet away, she saw the glint of the final rays of the sun being reflected off her precious pills canister.

Kagome couldn't help but wonder if the consequences would be worth it if she took the whole thing at once, just to make this madness go away.


	6. Five: Friends of Old

OH-HO!

Look who's a super fantabulous magical faerie! That's right. I actually updated. WOOT! So who loves me now:p :D And I didn't leave this chappie in a cliffie! So no "RAWR" reviews for me. Haha :p Well, sorry for the longish wait, but at least it's done now, right? And don't cry artemisxmoon! I hate it when people cry:( So this is for you, and everyone else who wanted to possess my body and force me to write out another chapter.

TWEAKINUEARS, I LOVELOVELOVELOVE**LOVE** YOU!

Well, I hope this chapter was worth the wait :) And review's would be nice...even semi-flammers. Constructive criticism never hurt anyone, right?

Here we go!

**XXXXXXX**

3...2...1...

_Go for it!_

In a blur of purple and white, with tangled raven waves the teen launched herself from her vulnerable position on the bedroom floor, and hurled towards her desk, eyes glinting with a slight panic as they focussed on the prize: her delusion pills.

Her leap had ended, and using only one foot to briefly touch down, she was making her second jump, this one would land her right where she needed to be...right beside the wooden structure and her medicated treasure.

She was so close...

But the angry shouts had abruptly stopped with her flight, and something roughly snatched the back of her favourite dark purple t-shirt.

The hand was strong, she could feel the muscles twitch from full power being held back, and the fact that they kept hold of her with such a gentle strength caused a shiver to run up her spine. It was the way she used to grab Souta when they had been younger and he would tell her to "Get Him".

Turning slowly, knowing her face masked the true definition of a deer in headlights, she came face to face with a pair of smouldering amber eyes.

"And where do you think YOU'RE going?" he growled, the two fuzzy white triangles atop his head quivering.

The girl said nothing.

"Hey, talk to me when I talk to you. Answer now, bitch." his hand squeezed a little tighter.

"Aww, don't scare her." the little creature with turquoise eyes and the orange fuzz spoke up. "She'll just mistrust us more if you do that."

If she hadn't been so caught up on the "bitch" statement, she would've smiled at the way the little boy (or as close to a little boy as it could be) seemed to be lecturing the adult.

But she was in fact still rather shocked by this man's blunt rudeness. She remembered him from the car ride, but back then she had been too surprised and fearful to retort. Now that the initial shock had worn off, she felt a wave of anger wash over her.

Spinning out of his clawed grasp, and turning to glare daggers at his widened eyes, she growled at him through clenched teeth.

"I WAS going to my desk before I was so rudely snatched up like that. You have a lot of nerve, you know? This is MY ROOM. MINE. And no figment of my imagination is going to stop me from doing what I want, when I want to. Got that?"

The man, who had been staring in open-mouthed awe at the boldness of "the little wench", had once again narrowed his eyes, closed his jaw, then re-opened it to snap back. But the adolescent wasn't done.

"And one last thing," she took a step towards him, poking his solid chest sharply. "My name is Kagome. KA-GO-ME. Say it with me. It's not like it's hard to pronounce, or maybe you just have a speech impairment, for you sure have an impairment with manners! Kagome. Not bitch. KAGOME. I don't even see you TRYING to sound it out—"

The look of anger on the man's face changed to that of dark humour. He chuckled bitterly, and took a step in as well. Kagome gasped, slightly taken aback a the sudden proximity, and quickly stepped backwards.

"Oh, I remember your name all right _Ka-go-me._" he stated quietly, mockingly. "But do you remember mine?"

The little boy caught her eyes. He gazed up at her solemnly. "What about mine? It's okay if you forgot his, but you GOTTA remember me at least a teeny bit..."

The man shot the boy and glare before once again training his golden gaze on Kagome, who could only shake her head, glancing between the two.

"I don't know you...you're just people I made up! You're imaginary! I made you up when I was a kid...and now I'm seeing you again because—"

"That's right, Kagome!" the little boy squealed. "You remember us from the good old days!"

"No!" Kagome cried, feeling like she was stuck going in a circle. "I was told about you...I don't actually recall you. I'm sorry..." Wait, why was she apologising to people who weren't even there? She frowned. "You were imaginary back then and you're imaginary now. I'm too old—"

"That's exactly what your father used to say. He told you to grow up, but you said you'd never leave us. And when you had to, you promised you'd come back. Did your daddy warp your mind while you were gone? Are you daddy's little girl now? No time for games when you're being practical." the man was...hurt? She saw pain flicked in his gaze as her spoke of her promise...

Now it was time for Kagome's face to go dark, long thick bangs hid her eyes from view.

"Funny, I would've though I'd accepted this. But if people I've conjured up don't even seem to know, then I guess I'm still in subconscious denial." She suddenly looked up, and the scent of her tears filled the room as she glared at the man with wet eyes.

"My daddy's dead. That's why I'm here. That's why we came back to Tokyo. Mom said she couldn't keep up with things, but I think it was because she wanted comfort that we came back. I guess I still need comfort too, I'm seeing my old imaginary friends." she laughed, but there was nothing humourous about it. "He's dead. Do I need to spell this out for you too? D-E-A-D. He's not coming back..."

Her voice broke, and she shuffled over to her bed, sitting down and burying her face in her hands.

"He's not coming back."

She felt the tears leak out the corners of her eyes, leaving hot trails down her cheeks. Each tear burned like acid, the acid from her heart where she had hidden all her loss. She'd loved her father, and never really had time to grieve.

The room was still for a moment, her sharp and choked breathing the only sound. But then something was beside her, she felt the slight shift as a small lump was added to the mattress. Soon hands were running up and down her back, soothing her, a little voice in her ear murmured that things were going to be okay.

Peeking through her fingertips, she saw the little boy beside her, taking care of her. Just behind him, only standing, was the man, his eyes looking at her with sorrow and guilt.

Taking a deep breath, she fell backwards, and just laid on her bed for a moment. Closing her eyes, she felt some of the pain ebb away...surprisingly, she didn't feel hollow, but somewhat more whole.

She opened her eyes.

Slowly she began to sit up, half expecting to see and empty room now that her inner turmoil had settled. Now that she felt more at peace with herself, maybe she wouldn't need the comforts of childhood...maybe she wouldn't need imaginary friends.

But they were still there. Exactly how she had left them.

Both sets of eyes, so vibrant in colour, stared at her with worry. The little one's was more evident then the older one, but worry sparked in his gaze nonetheless.

Suddenly feeling very tired, she smiled slightly at the pair (though she didn't know why she felt the need to reassure them), stood, and made to stretch.

Her arms made it halfway, about to her middle, when something came and tugged on her hands, pulling her forward.

It was suddenly warm...very warm. Like being surrounded by a heated blanket. Her nose was filled with the scents of pine and cedar, foresty, earthy smells, along with an unknown musk.

Blinking, she felt the coarse yet soft silver hair brush her cheek, and she knew she was being embraced by the strange, rageful dog-eared man.

He didn't say a word as he released her, and awkwardly stepped away looking flustered. A blush was stained on Kagome's cheeks, though she didn't know why.

But she did know one thing...

That hug had been real. She had felt it down into her soul, just like those backrubs. Both had soothed her, eased her, whereas her imagination usually taunted her with pictures of her father, her old home, old friends, and old life.

Could these people...these wild, uncanny figures...could they really be real?

"C'mon Shippo," the man grunted. "I think we should leave Kagome alone for a bit."

The little boy hopped off her bed, gave her now limp and hanging hand a squeeze, and went to follow his silver and red leader.

"Wait."

Both boy's turned to Kagome, who was looking at them with unsure eyes. But deep in that misty azure gaze, something had sparked, something old, something familiar...something like Little Kagome had once had...

Memories prodded at the back of her mind, whispering for her to remember, for her to understand. But like water, she could not grasp them, and they kept slipping away, not matter how hard she tried to hold on.

"You're coming back...aren't you?"

The words escaped her lips before she could stop them. But something inside her told her she had to make sure they were coming back...

The man smirked, triumph flaring in his eyes, and the boy grinned broadly and tried hard not to squeal in delight.

"You can't get rid of us that easily."

And in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Kagome watched her curtains flutter in the breeze. Dusk had passed, night covering the earth in a dark blanket outside her window. She walked over and shut it gently, but did not lock it. For some reason, she didn't fear predators in the night anymore, the chills didn't seem so hair-raising...

Even if they weren't real, even if she really was going insane, she was going to enjoy the comfort losing her mind brought her for as long as she could.

Feeling a smirk of her own tug at her lips, she marched over to her desk, and with one flick off the wrist, she backhanded the canister of small white pills across the desk surface and into the waste basket that was situated on the other side.

A yawn escaped her mouth, and she curled onto her bed.

"I'll just rest my eyes for a moment...m'not gonna fall...sleep..."

The room was silent for the next few minutes, soft breathing only occurring every few seconds. Finally a snort was heard, and a smile cracked on the sleeping girl's face.

"Inuyasha no baka..." she muttered. "Shippo's not gonna be too pleased with you..."

Maybe it wouldn't be so hard for her to remember after all.


	7. Six: Duck Pyjama's and the REAL Shock

I COME IN PEACE! See the white flag? See it? I'll glue it to my forehead if I have to. I'm sooooooooo sorry for taking so long, especially when I said I'd update BEFORE school started. But life is an absolute NIGHTMATE right now, and I've been feeling like complete crap lately. And I felt even awful-er every time I read a new story on this or any other fanfiction site, because it just reminded me on how badly I needed to update.

See, I would've updated LAST month, but being my rebel self, I handed in my history project ONE DAY late, and my father went balistic and banned me from the computer for a month. And then...actually, don't even get me STARTED on my friends. Except for Reetz, the most darling bestest friend in the ENTIRE freaking universe for putting up with my horrible mood swings lately, because she's one of the only people I'll ever actually act out my true emotions in front of.

But at least I'm here now, right? And pleeeeeeeeeeeease forgive me :( I really do feel like shit about this. I usually right stories when I'm in a positive mood, lately whenever I go to write something it comes out all dark and unfun. And I wanted this to be humerous, so it didn't really work out until now.

Enough of this, though, eh? You probably just want to read the dang story.

Enjoy :)

**XXXXXXX**

The airy classroom was mostly silent as student's quietly sat and read under their teacher's strict supervision. Every few moments a set of small giggles could be heard, along with a cough, sneeze, sniffle, or any other "safe" noise the bored adolescents made as they counted down the final 14 minutes until the bell rang for lunch.

All was mostly quiet...

"Psst!"

Yes. "Mostly" quiet.

"Psst!"

The warm sunlight streaming in through the windows danced within the slightly dangerous magenta gaze.

"Psst! _Psst!_"

Darn it. Was he deaf of something? Why now of all times did that damned lecher decide to actually pay attention instead of letting his mischievous eyes wander around the room in hopes of making eye-contact with the opposite sex?

And now, a member of the opposite sex was attempting to make eye-contact with him for a change, and he was off in La-La Land. Scratch that. More like Hanky-Panky Land...

"Dammit, Houshi!"

The oblivious male on the other hand was indeed off in his own little world. It was actually in fact not as twisted as his female friend thought it was. Actually, he was currently plotting on how to get the attention of said female friend without getting the death-glare like he had 9 other times this period.

What to do, what to do...

The sudden sound of his last name brought him back to reality with bit of a jolt. Only a handful of people ever used his last name in that tone. The majority of these people were his teachers, usually also giving him a unapproving look afterwards, but this voice was different.

He tried very, very hard not to spin around in his seat at the angry voice. Instead he tried to act cooly, slowly rotating and peeking in the direction of the voice.

Sure enough, there sat a livid-looking Sango. Finally getting his attention, she shot him an exasperated look, scribbled something on a piece of paper, and folded it up carefully. Both sets of eyes turned to regard their professor for a moment, and the second his back was turned, the folded parchment landed perfectly in Miroku's lap.

_Have you seen Kagome-chan today?_

_...And what daydream was so precious that it took nearly ten minutes to drag you away from? You better not have been thinking perversely._

Miroku let a smile pull up the corners of his lips.

_**My dearest Sango, of course I was not thinking in a corrupt manner! What kind of man do you take me for? I feel so wounded, so betrayed!**_

_**And no, as a matter of fact. I have not seen Kagome-sama since yesterday. Perhaps she is ill?**_

Within seconds Sango felt something light hit her in the arm. She glanced at the floor where the note had fallen, and quickly picked it up.

Rolling her eyes, she jotted down a few more sentences before making another perfect toss into Miroku's lap.

_When are you NOT__thinking in a corrupt manner? And what kind of man do I take you for? A perverted one. _

_Hmm. She was complaining about a headache yesterday...it surprised me. She's been kinda...'off' lately. Maybe it's just my imagination...but what do you think?_

Miroku blinked in surprise and thought a moment. It was true. Kagome HAD been acting a tad different lately. Sango said she had confronted her about the birth-control thing, and had gotten an explanation, which she then told Miroku who had asked the next morning about "what lucky guy knocked Kagome up?".

After Sango had finished explaining everything to Miroku, almost as if on cue, Kagome had shown up. Only she hadn't just walked up to them with her usual cheery smile. No. She had been _humming._

Strange things like that continued over the following two weeks. Kagome was either very happy or very angry in the mornings, began to get anxious a little after noon, and by the time the final bell rang she would practically fly out of the school with a breathless "Bye!".

Yes. Something strange _was _going on with their bright-eyed friend. But what?

_**I see what you mean. Something has been a little odd with her, hasn't it? Should we maybe go pop-by her place tonight?**_

When the note was returned to Sango, she couldn't help but smile as Miroku seemed to have completely ignored her comments on his "ways". She felt a little too pleased about the way Miroku had put "we", and frowning, she quickly shook the feeling off before responding.

_That's actually what I was thinking. But I'll call first, just so there's no chance of Kagome being...embarrassed._

Miroku let out a near-silent chuckle as he read Sango's words.

_**Now who's being the perverted one?**_

Sango frowned at this, and just as she was about to make a witty come-back, the long awaited bell finally rang.

Slyly making his way to his female friend's desk, Miroku winked suggestively at the annoyed Sango, who just looked way and grumbled something incoherent.

But what Miroku _didn't_ see was the small flush that ran over Sango's cheeks after he winked at her.

Sighing, the dark-haired girl picked up her binder and her novel before rising gracefully to her feet, still not making eye-contact at her friend.

_I hope Kagome gets better soon...It feels strange not to have her around...it doesn't even feel as it used to. Miroku and I used to always be alone together, hanging out, just us two. But now when we're alone...it's like everything changed. I'm not sure if I like it or not._

**XXXXXXX**

"So, lemme get this straight...You're sick."

"Yep."

"So your skin is all pale and clammy."

"Yep."

"And you should be resting."

"Yep."

"And yet, you're NOT resting, your putting make-up on so you don't look like the living dead, even though you'll have to go through the trouble of taking it off an hour or two later, and people are coming over?"

"Yep."

The silver-haired man snorted. "And you say _I'm_ irrational?"

"Shut up, I'm putting on mascara."

Huffing, he plopped down in an undignified heap on the girl's unmade bed, slightly jolting the young fox kit who was watching the girl beautify herself in curiosity.

"Kagome?"

"Yes, Shippo?"

The fox kit considered for a moment, and then sighed. "Never mind."

All was silent for another minute or two.

"Hey Kagome?"

"Yes Shippo?"

The silence stretched on. "Forget it."

A low chiming was heard throughout the house. Kagome swept a quick brush through her hair before moving swiftly to her bedroom door.

"Wait, Kagome!"

"Not now, Shippo!" and with that she was gone.

Shippo frowned. "She worked so hard on making her face and hair all pretty, I would have thought..."

Inuyasha smirked down at his fellow demon. "How long do you think it's gonna take before she realizes she's still wearing her duck pyjamas?"

Twenty seven seconds later, birds around the Higuarshi shrine took to the sky in fear of a young woman's mortified scream.

**XXXXXXX**

Kagome sat outside in the hallway in front of her bedroom, face still burning with a very amused Miroku standing up beside her.

"Do I have the all-clear, yet?" Miroku called through the shut bedroom door, amusing twinkling in his eyes like fireflies. If they had in fact been fireflies, Kagome couldn't help but think darkly to herself, then she'd catch them and ram them down Inuyasha's throat. He had just sat on her bed and said nothing, Shippo had at least _tried._

Jerk.

And now, because of her little slip-up with wardrobe, Sango had decided to lock herself in Kagome's bedroom to make sure Kagome hadn't accidentally forgotten a pair of panties or any other feminie product out in the open where Miroku's keen perverted eyesight would obviously bask in.

Miroku's first visit where he actually came inside the house, and it was already turning out ever-so-well.

Why, oh _why_ hadn't she listened to her imaginary friends when they told her that she should've just rescheduled.

...thinking back on that last thought, Kagome mentally cringed. Only two weeks had gone by since the initial first meeting, or "reunion" in the two fictitious creature's minds. Old memories would drift past Kagome with more ease now, mostly returning to her in the form of dreams.

But one dream kept reoccurring, and Kagome knew that this was no memory. In her dream, she was a woman, so similar yet so different from herself. She was alone, a prisoner, trapped inside a dingy cell. A man would visit her often, sneering about her lover, her freedom, and her soul. The bitterness that sometimes rose up in this woman was enough to wake Kagome from her slumber. But she wouldn't let it get to her, it was only a dream after all.

"Clear!"

Kagome was suddenly roused from the thoughts and images swirling about her mind as Sango called out to the quiet pair while swinging open the door with a satisfied gleam in her eye.

Peeking in, Kagome saw that Sango had not only scouted for things unappropriated to the male eye, but also made her bed and had tidied up her make-up.

Sometimes, Kagome just wanted to WORSHIP Sango.

Trailing Sango back into her now spick-and-span bedroom, Kagome was about to give her a great big hug (not to mention a great big transfer of germs), when she caught sight of a rather amused Inuyasha, leaning against her window ledge, while Shippo sat on the stool beside her dresser, blinking at her innocently even though he had obviously gotten into her make-up.

It was pure torture not to laugh at the now feminie Shippo.

Miroku strode in after Kagome, confident as ever in a woman's bedroom. He opened his mouth, probably to make some perverse comment, when a strange and confused frown settled upon his face.

"Kagome?"

"Yah?"

"What's with the plushie of a tranny fox?"

**XXXXXXX**

I know, I _know_! A painfully long wait, and then a cliffie. I massively suck. But there's certain things I want to cover in the next chapter, because I have the ENTIRE story plotted out in my head now (the last chapter is a but sketchy, but I pretty much have it all up here), and though I will continue to weave humour in and out of this fic, the drama genre is going to start kicking in full force pretty soon.

I'll swear on EVERYTHING that I LOVE and hold SACRED and DEAR that I will do my darnest to update before the end of November at LATEST.

Is it too much to beg for a review?


	8. Seven: A Little Bit Confused

I am so, so, so, so, so, SO collosally sorry that it's taken me nearly 5 months to update. BUT, because of this factor, I made this chapter longer, it's 10 WordPerfect pages long. That's 3254 words. Because I love you, the readers (and reviewers) so, so, so, so much.

There's been a lot going on in my life right now, I'm not going to go into it, it's one helluva story, and I've been grounded until March. But because I ADORE you all so much, I've snuck onto the computer, wrote a fat chapter, and am posting it for your enjoyment.

Please, please, PLEASE forgive me for any yucky/annoyed/bad feelings I may have caused you, and I hope you enjoy the chappie :)

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Kagome couldn't help but wonder in that instant that if she Googled the term "heart stop", if she would find herself peering into a mirror on the computer screen.

As the roar of the blood rushing in her ears began to diminish to a quiet, but pounding headache, she could make out a certain dog demons rough laughter booming throughout the room.

Miroku finally managed to tear his eyes away from the strange looking "plushie" to glance at the half-asphyxiated man.

"Oh, I get it..." he mused quietly, stroking his chin for dramatic effect.

"...you do...?" Kagome squealed quietly.

"Of course I do, I mean, it's rather obvious."

Sango glanced at her two companions. All of the colour from Kagome's previous blush had faded away. In fact, there was no colour left to the poor girl's face at all. Her eyes were circling around the room, flashing to the empty stool beside her dresser, to the air in front of her bedroom window, then back to Miroku in sheer panic and horror.

What the hell was going on?

Miroku moved casually over towards Shippo, and picked him up. The fox demon seemed surprised, but still hadn't said a word. He was far too worried that Kagome was going to get upset with him for getting fur in her lipstick.

Inuyasha promptly stopped laughing at this. He hadn't really noticed all the commotion going about due to the fact that he'd been laughing so hard at Shippo. Many would call this a part of being thick-skulled (to only take notice of one thing, and because the brain was so occupied with the hilarity of that one thing, the rest of the world didn't really sink in), but Inuyasha just called it "selective thinking".

His thoughts echoed Sango's to a "t".

Miroku began to laugh. "Ah, this is much better that last night's dream."

"Dream?" Kagome echoed weakly.

"Yes, I mean, sure it was amusing with the unicorns and all, but they had far too many sexuality issues. This dream is much less confusing, and a great deal less disturbing."

"_What?_" both Sango and Inuyasha demanded, only poor Sango couldn't hear him.

Miroku glanced back and forth between the increasingly frustrated girl and the dog demon. Giving Shippo over to Kagome with an absent pat on his fuzzy orange head, he crossed his arms sternly.

"My my Sango, I'm rather ashamed of you." he scolded, feigning hurt.

"For what?" All Sango's confusion and anger melted away into surprise. She hated the fact that Miroku was looking at her like that.

_Not that I care what he thinks, I just don't like being blamed for things I didn't do...or don't think I did. No, I didn't do anything. Did I? Well, I cleaned Kagome's room...what's wrong with that? Of course I did nothing. What was I thinking? Well, I guess I was thinking that I must've done something awful to make Miroku look—oh, just screw it._

"Now Sango, if you haven't noticed, this is _my_ dream. And obviously things happen in my dreams. Things that your innocent yet curvaceous self shouldn't be exposed to. I mean, at least not with _him._" He gestured over to the dog demon that had now come to stand beside Kagome.

"Um, Miroku..." Sango started slowly, reaching over to feel his forehead. "I think you must be coming down with whatever Kagome has, because last time I checked, Kagome wasn't a guy."

Inuyasha smirked and went to open his mouth, but Kagome silenced him by promptly stomping on his foot. Shippo sniggered. Inuyasha hit him. Kagome started yelling at him.

Sango just got more confused.

"You jerk! He's just a kid! Leave him alone!"

"_Jerk?!_ He was laughing at me! Besides, he's just as old as I am!"

"Well you were laughing at _me,_ if you forgot, Mr. Hypocrite."

"I was not!"

"Was too!"

...who was Kagome _talking _to...?

"...I had a suspicion that it didn't take that long to do a "quick tidy up", but still. If you were looking for some animal love, you could've come to _me _you know. You usually do in these kinds of dreams. Well, the unicorn one doesn't count. But..."

Oh. Right. Miroku had been talking to her.

"Mew."

Sango blinked at looked down. A two-tailed cat looked up at her and mewed again, cocking its head to one side.

Sango did the only thing a rational person in that kind of circumstance would do.

She fainted.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The liquid seeping out of her was warm, so warm. It made such a contrast to the cold that seeped through the thin garments on her back. She hadn't felt warmth like this in ages. Too bad it came with a price.

She closed her eyes for a moment, blocking out the pain of her left wrists. She clasped it to her chest, trying to stop the flow of blood. She refused to cry, refused to slump against the icy stones of her chamber, refused to show any sign of weakness.

Slowly, she opened her eyes once more. It made no real difference if they were open or not, she could hardly see through the thick blackness. Even though her eyes had long since adjusted, the scent of decay was too thick, clouding the air so much that it was almost visible. A low shudder crawled down her spine.

Light suddenly poured into the room from the opposite side to where she was sitting, and a door smashed violently against a wall. She blinked, her half-dead eyes narrowing in disgust.

He glided into the room, the cunning and shadowed smile never leaving his face as he approached her. He leaned down in front of her, so close she could smell the evil on his breath.

Icy fingers incased her right wrist, pulling it from her injured one. She watched him with untrusting eyes as he analysed her wound.

"He really did a number on you, didn't he?" he murmured, voice as thick and choking as black velvet.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Her voice was sharp, controlled, and she turned her head away from his probing gaze.

Bringing his mouth down to her wrist, he licked some of the blood away. Her body stiffened, but she refused to acknowledge his actions. He smirked, feeling her pulse beneath his lips.

"That's a good girl," he soothed. She turned her head away even more so that her dirty cheek was pressed against the stony wall.

"You know better than to defy me now, don't you? I hate to hurt you, that's why I must send you to him each time you begin to act up. You know I could never lay a finger on you..."

His breath tickled her ear.

"Unless it was my lips."

She couldn't help it, a violent shudder coursed through her body. He leaned back and chuckled.

"You won't be smiling anymore once _he_ comes back for me." she spat, finally turning to look at him with venom in her gaze.

His smile never wavered as he stood up.

"Keep believing, if you must. It will only prolong your suffering."

The wind was suddenly knocked from her with a sift kick to the abs.

She didn't give him the satisfaction of submitting.

"You said you wouldn't lay a finger on me."

He'd been half way across the room at this point. He froze at her words, slowly turning around to smile sweetly at her.

"Indeed I did. Would you like me to soothe the pain away?" he licked his lips promisingly.

"Never." she hissed, turning away once more.

She felt his aura before she felt his breath.

"Just remember one thing; until _he_ returns, you belong to me."

The door slammed shut a moment later, and she listened a couple more moments before the dull click of the lock confirmed her solitude.

Then and only then did she crumple into a ball, and pray for the memory of daylight to return to her.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

There were voices. Two voices. Two familiar voices.

"Why shouldn't we tell her?"

"Trust me, Kagome. We'll tell her within the week. I just don't believe that right now is a good time."

"But..._sigh._ I guess you have a point there."

"I always have a point."

"Keh, in your pants."

Who was that third voice, that last voice? Why did her head hurt so badly?

"Inuyasha!"

"What?"

"That was rather uncalled for, my newfound friend."

"Hey hey, no one said nothing about us being friends."

"I'll be you're friend! You're funny. Plus, you're good at making dumbdumb over here angry."

Oh no, now a fourth voice?

Something tugged at the edge of her mind. Colours, shapes and voices all blended as one. No longer could she understand the conversation going on above her. Images flashed before her eyes like a slide show being operated with someone who had ADHD. Nothing stayed still for more than a moment, a new picture replacing the last one before she even had time to identify it.

The only real, solid thought that she could come up with at this point was:

Mew.

That was it.

She really, _really_ needed an aspirin.

"_Uhhhhggn..._"

"She's waking up! Quick, get out!"

"Aww...Kagome, I wanna stay with you!"

"C'mon brat..."

"Inuyasha!"

"What? At least _I'm_ leaving."

"Shippo, go with Inuyasha, I shall personally introduced Sango to you by the end of the week at latest."

"Anything done 'personally' with you will probably cause an STD."

"Hey! That hurt!"

"Would you all PLEASE shut up and LEAVE?"

"What about me?"

"Oh yah. Everyone out except Miroku."

"You want me to leave you ALONE with him?"

"Sango's here."

"But she's not 'all-together here', if you know what I mean."

"Just GET OUT!"

"...wow. Kagome's scary."

It was a good thing Sango couldn't really understand any of the events that were happening around her.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Sango?"

"Ohhh...I think I hit my head..."

Blinking hazily, the long-haired teen opened her eyes and peered at the world around her. Which was quite blurry at the moment, and she swore that Kagome was producing rainbows out of her armpits.

After a couple more blinks, things finally came into focus. Kagome was gazing at her in concern, a packet of ice in one hand, and a cup of water in the other. Sango smiled gratefully, about to reach up for the water, when she felt a hand sliding up and down her hip.

"My dear Sango, are you alright?"

Miroku was dripping wet before Kagome could even acknowledge the fact that the cup wasn't in her hand anymore.

"Thanks," Sango groaned as Kagome gently placed the ice pack on her throbbing temple.

Kagome smiled sympathetically and helped her stand up. It was only then that Sango realized she was laying on Kagome's bed.

"How are you feeling?" Kagome asked, moving the ice pack for a moment to feel for any bumps on her friend's head.

"Not so good." Sango admitted, wincing as Kagome's fingers touched a tender spot.

"You have a nasty bump there."

Sango sighed.

Miroku walked in with Sango's light springtime jacket, and together with Kagome they maneuvered her down the stairs and to the front door.

"Where are you taking me?" Sango moaned, still not fully comprehending what was going on.

"Miroku's gonna take you home," Kagome's voice soothed in her ear.

However a foggy place her mind may be, Sango still knew to take a couple quick steps away from their perverted friend. As Kagome steadied her, Miroku put up his (wet) hands in surrender.

"I promise I won't touch you." he vowed. For once he actually looked sincere.

"Ever?" Sango challenged.

"Just for tonight." he winked, blue eyes now twinkling with amusement. Sango felt a blush heat her face.

"Oh no, I think you're coming down with something..." Kagome fussed, placing a hand to Sango's forehead. "Your face is all flushed!"

Sango's eyes widened in horror (which caused a sharp pain to ripple through her head) and felt her face heat up even more.

She hadn't even noticed that Miroku had put on her shoes for her.

She was still in shock about 10 minutes later when the two of them had just reached the bottom of the Higurashi Shrine's stairs, that he companion had not done anything inappropriate to her legs while bent down to tie her shoes.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Eternity. It was a long time. But at the same time it wasn't, for the concept of eternity meant that the concept of time did not exist. What once was had always been, and would always be. It would stretch on as far into the future as it did into the past, a continuous loop of existence.

He smirked. And they all called him stupid.

She never used to though. She used to defend him against the brat, once upon a time. She used to sit up here in the dead of night, watching the sky with him. His smirk faded into a soft smile at the memory of her uncomprehensible joy of seeing a shooting star.

He remembered the way her eyes would light up, and she'd lapse into a peaceful silence while clasping her hands, staring at the heavens as if she were pleading with them to make her wish come true. Then she'd turn to him and the squealing fit would begin.

"Inuyasha?"

He blinked, the serene cacoon of the past being broken. Grumbling, he clambered across the roof and hung upside down in front of the annoying voice's bedroom window. The annoying voice that he had just been thinking of.

The teen jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance, then smiled shyly up at him and extended her arms as if to hug him. He nearly fell off the roof in shock.

"Mind if I come up too?"

Balancing his weight once more, he made a show of cursing about stupid humans and their lack of power of co-ordinance, before swinging her up beside him.

She gasped softly, light from the stars reflecting in her azure eyes as she took in the universe.

The hanyou smirked, pleased with himself. He hadn't seen that look in ages, though he'd be damned if he ever even breathed the thought of how much he missed it.

He layed back down, keeping one furry triangle titled in her direction the entire time, ruining the effect he'd been trying to produce of how he could care less about her and whether or not she fell of the roof.

Her arm brushed his as she layed down beside him, and he couldn't help the feeling of uttermost _rightness_ that coursed through him.

"Hey, Inuyasha?"

"What?"

She rolled onto her side to face him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, both ears now fully turned towards her.

"Did we ever...I mean...star gazing—"

"Yep."

"Oh."

Kagome went silent for a few moments. She rolled back onto her back, and then rolled over to her side once more a few seconds later.

"Inuyasha?"

"What now?"

"Were we...were we really close before?"

This time he had to roll around himself to look at her.

"Keh, what are you talking about stupid?"

Kagome looked away, curling her knees up to her chest and hugged them.

"Back in Kyoto, I always had this sense of, something missing, you know? I never really though about it. I just always figured that it had to be grandpa—"

Inuyasha snorted. Kagome ignored him.

"—or the shrine, or something like that. When we came back, I figured that the feeling would go away, but when it didn't, I thought it was just because now my dad was gone, and the something missing was him."

Inuyasha propped his head up with one clawed hand, golden eyes fixed on the rambling girl intensely.

"I know this sounds stupid...but, when I was laying in my bed, I could just _feel_ you, you know? I knew you were up here. And this little voice, no, it wasn't Shippo's, was telling me to come up here and lay with you. The idea sounded so strange but so normal at the same time. So I tucked in Shippo, and called you.

I'm sorry if I bother your peace or anything. I just...it's hard to explain."

Inuyasha turned away, eyes fixed on the sky once more, though he wasn't really seeing anything besides the nervous aura surrounding his friend.

"I get it." he said. It came out a bit rougher than intended, and he felt bad when he noticed her tighten her grip on her legs.

"Oh."

The lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, and finally, he sighed.

"I felt it too." he murmured, trying hard not to look at her.

Her arms tightened some more.

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

He spun around to stare at her.

"For what?"

"For not remembering you, or Shippo, or this..."

Inuyasha grunted. She sure was emotional, wasn't she? Even for a human. But for some reason, this factor didn't bother him.

"Idiot," he said fondly. "You remembered."

She finally looked at him with wet, confused eyes.

"You said so yourself. You missed m—us, even if you didn't really know it."

Kagome smiled, and finally loosened her grip on her poor legs. Inuyasha vaguely wondered if they still had circulation.

"Sometimes I wish that I could go back in time," Kagome mused quietly. "And I could tell myself not to forget you. Only," she added with a small chuckle, "I'd probably call the cops on myself, and then we really wouldn't be laying here discussing all this right now."

Inuyasha smirked. "You're strange, you know that?"

Sighing, his smirk faded away. "No one can go back in time though."

Kagome blinked, catching the faint wisp of wistfulness to his tone. Her eyes bore into him.

"Do you ever wish that you could go back in time?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything, he just continued to look at the stars.

Shyly, Kagome reached over and squeezed his clawed fingers. His ears twitched in surprise, but he made no move to stop her.

"How about, we do this every night?" she asked quietly, still holding his hand. "We can pretend that when the sun goes down, we can travel back to when we were close, and everything will—"

"Stupid," Inuyasha cut in quietly. Kagome blinked, half surprised that he had squeezed her hand back, and half angry that he had made her loose her train of thought. "Remember what I said before?"

"...no?"

Inuyasha sighed. "I called you stupid before too. I never said we weren't still..." he struggled for the right word, and finally decided to just use her's. "...close."

Kagome smiled.

"Best friends for eternity." she stated, before her eyes caught something streaking across the sky.

In the brief moment where she'd gone silent to make her wish (letting go of Inuyasha's hand so that she could clasp both her own hands together in concentration), Inuyasha's brain registered something.

Once upon a time, she'd promised him forever. This time, she had promised him eternity.

Forever was a concept involving the future, it was a concept involving time. Many people believed forever and eternity were the same thing, but forever could end. Forever had ended. Eternity was a continuous loop, it never ended, for it never really began. It just always was.

It was a bond that defied time.

Inuyasha smiled. This time, she was right. Cheesy as it was, they were going to be friends for eternity.

Then, the squealing fit began.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Alright. So, now the plot is starting to pick up. There's going to be quite a large twist at the end of this tale, and I'm hoping to shock you all...if you first don't die from bordom at my lack of updating. Which I am horribly sorry about :(

Just incase you were slightly confused, Miroku now knows the entire story regarding Kagome and her "imaginary" friends. They've decided to not tell Sango until she's in a bit of a better state of mind. Anything else that confused you was intentional :P lol

And just to let you know, the part about Miroku and the unicorns? Yah. That's based on a dream that I had. Last night. About a herd of unicorns. With severe sexuality issues. It frightened me. I will never think of a unicorn the same way ever again, no longer are they considered something "pure" in my mind... I think I may be scarred for life.

So to make the painful scarring less painful, could you please review? Pretty, pretty, pretty please? With a unicorn on top?

:P


End file.
